ICT Advisor (Software Engineer)

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. The New York Portfolios Office (NYPO) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York-based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of the UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

The Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services, UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), and the Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio.  It provides services to partners' programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York.  SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries. 

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations to implement defined activities in support of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Centre for Humanitarian Data is focused on increasing the use and impact of data in humanitarian response. It is managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Centre’s vision is to create a future where everyone involved in a humanitarian emergency has access to the data they need, when and how they need it, to make responsible and informed decisions. Our support is provided to OCHA staff and partners, with a priority focus on locations with humanitarian operations. The Centre focuses on four workstreams: data services, data science, data responsibility, and learning and practice.

The data services workstream is the engine room of the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) platform, a critical component of the Centre’s value proposition. The goal of the HDX is to make humanitarian data easy to find and use for analysis. Launched in July 2014 with just 800 datasets shared by a dozen organizations, HDX is now an anchor in the open data ecosystem, bringing together roughly 20,000 datasets from hundreds of partners. In 2024, HDX was accessed by 1.4 million people in 230 countries and territories. 

The HDX team includes three units – data systems which focuses on data pipelines; data partnerships which focuses on outreach and relationships with users and organizations; and dev/design which focuses on software and user interface development. 

Purpose and Scope of Assignment 

UNOPS is seeking to recruit an ICT Advisor (Software Engineer) to support the development and maintenance of software and data infrastructure and technical features on the HDX, contributing to crisis response and humanitarian decision making. The right candidate has the skills and abilities to advise, implement, and provide the technical support/oversight on software engineering issues to the broader team, helping to ensure our systems are robust, scalable, and fit for purpose in a humanitarian context.  They will contribute to shaping the development of the technical stack used by HDX, identifying and recommending modern, open source tools and approaches aligned with our mission. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem solver, capable of translating complex challenges into practical, user-focused solutions They should also be self-motivated and able to thrive in an international, multidisciplinary team.  

The ICT Advisor will report to the Data Systems Team Lead under the overall direction of the Lead for the Centre for Humanitarian Data. The incumbent will be expected to work closely with the rest of the Centre team.

The incumbent of this position will be personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

The incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

• Advise on the modernization of digital systems, including transitions from legacy systems such as Excel-based workflow to scalable, cloud-based platforms.
• Design and implement cloud-based applications for data visualization and integration, including offline functionality when operationally required.
• Build and maintain Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and microservices that facilitate interoperability between HDX and external platforms using open data standards.
• Provide strategic input on system architecture for both frontend and backend systems using JavaScript and Python frameworks .
• Develop and maintain automated pipelines to process and serve tabular, vector, and raster data.
• Document code and systems clearly and provide capacity building support for internal team members.
• Research new digital products, provide technical feasibility assessments, and advise on potential approaches .
• Present technical work and outcomes to technical and non-technical audiences.

Female Candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Candidates with no United Nations or UNOPS experience are strongly encouraged to apply.

• An advanced university degree  (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in software engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics,  economics or in a related field with seven (7) years of relevant experience is required; OR .  
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent)  preferably in software engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics,  economics or in a related field, with nine (9) years of relevant experience is required. 

b. Work Experience 
Required:

• Relevant experience is defined as experience in software engineering, web development, and/or pipeline building. 
• Experience building web-based applications, RESTful APIs, and/or using data visualization libraries is required.
• Experience with cloud deployment frameworks and/or containerized applications is required.

Desirable experience (the following experience is optional, candidates who do not have it are welcome to apply.)

• Exceptional communication skills, in order to explain your work to non technical colleagues who may not be familiar with software engineering is desirable. 
• Experience in understanding partner needs and requirements is desirable. 
• Knowledge or experience in the humanitarian or development sectors is desirable.
• Knowledge of Agile methodologies or experience in project management is desirable.

c. Language

• Fluency in English (read, write, speak) is required 
• Knowledge of any of the other UN official languages is an advantage.

• Contract type: Individual Contractor Agreement (ICA) 
• Contract level: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA-3) or Local Individual Contractor Agreement (LICA-11) - ICS11
• Contract duration: Ongoing contract (subject to good performance, availability of funds, organizational requirements and project duration). 

Even though the level of the position is indicated as IICA-3, depending on the incumbent's personal situation ( candidate with national ID or resident permit), a local fee scale (LICA-11) might be applied in determining the contractor's fee.

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience requirements outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to considering all candidates in a fair and transparent manner, and we value diverse perspectives and experiences, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.